HRO performance in small/medium oil-service organizations : what are the possibilities for HRO performance in small and medium sized oilservice companies, and have PI Intervention fulfilled the demands for a reliable and safe organization?

Abstract

Every individual who is employed by an organization demands that he/she will be able to do the best job they can under safe conditions. Equally, employers in all organizations are seeking the optimal conditions for employers to do their job productively and safely, so that they avoid personnel injuries, high turnover, sick leave, substitutes and general poor work ethics. There are many elements involved in creating a safe environment, which is mainly the same for large and small organizations. The context for a small organization, in difference to a large organization, is relatively the same, but do small organizations have the same possibility for high reliability performance as large organizations? PI Intervention, an oil-service organization have asked me to perform this investigation, in addition to evaluate their emergency preparedness plan and response. In this thesis the high reliability theory is used to investigate the safety culture and organizational approach to a safe work environment. PI Intervention invited me in to do this investigation and provided me access to their organization to do interviews and observations of their emergency preparedness exercise. Qualitative research methods like interviews, observations and informal conversations were used to gather empirical material, which has then been discussed in relation to high reliability organization theory, as well as emergency management. The findings indicate that PI Intervention as an organization is preoccupied with maintaining a safe environment for their employees. There is a trusting relationship between management and front line personnel which creates an open and transparent organization, where safety is in high priority. PI Intervention is a small/medium sized organization, but there is no indication that the size of the company has a negative effect on their safety systems. There are, of course, some aspects, such as limited resources and manpower, that could influence the work that is done in safety procedures, but there was no sign that this was the case at PI Intervention. Being a relatively small sized company has its limitations, but also its advantages. Although PI Intervention does not fulfil all of the elements that a high reliability organization requires, I see them as a high reliability organization because of their successful procedures and preventive work toward emergency preparedness.